Malta - Operations 'Vigorous' and 'Harpoon'

Early in the June 1942, the aircraft carrier Eagle ferried over 50 Spitfires to Malta in two operations. By then, the Germans had transferred many of their aircraft to Russia. This, together with the arrival of yet more RAF fighters, eased the terrible burden Malta had suffered for so long. The 10th Submarine Flotilla, with its full complement of U Class submarines had still not returned to the island, having departed to the Eastern Bases when Malta became untenable as a base for submarine maintenance and operations. Malta at that time needed supplies urgently, and the first attempts at convoy supply were made......

12th-16th June 1942

Malta Convoys - 'Op. Harpoon' from Gibraltar, 'Op. Vigorous' from Alexandria

Six escorted merchantmen passed through the Strait of Gibraltar covered by the battleship Malaya, aircraft carriers Argus and Eagle, the cruisers Kenya, Charybdis, Liverpool and destroyers - this force comprises Operation 'Harpoon'.

Attacks by Italian aircraft on the 14th led to the first merchant ship going down south of Sardinia. Liverpool was also damaged and had to return. Later that day at the entrance to the Strait of Sicily, the big ship cover force turned back. In the morning of the 15th, south of Pantelleria, an Italian two-cruiser squadron in conjunction with Italian and German aircraft, attacked the by-now lightly defended convoy. The five escorting fleet destroyers headed for the Italian warships, but Bedouin and Partridge were disabled by gunfire. Three more merchantmen were lost to bombing attacks and Italian torpedo aircraft finished off Bedouin. Later that evening, as the seriously depleted convoy approached Malta, it ran into a minefield. Two destroyers and the fifth supply ship were damaged, and the Polish escort destroyer Kujawiak was sunk. Just two of 'Harpoon's' six ships reached Malta for the loss of two destroyers and serious damage to three more and a cruiser.

Meanwhile the Operation 'Vigorous' force of 11 ships and their escorts sailed from Haifa and Port Said, and were met on the 13th off Tobruk by Admiral Vian with seven light cruisers and 17 destroyers. By the 14th, two ships had been lost to air attack and two more damaged. That evening Vian learned that an Italian battlefleet with two battleships, two heavy and two light cruisers plus destroyers had sailed south from Taranto. The chances of driving them off were slim. Early on the 15th, the first of five course reversals were made as 'Vigorous' tried to break through to Malta. As the convoy headed back, German E-boats from Derna launched torpedo strikes. The Cruiser Newcastle was damaged by S-56 and the destroyer Hasty sunk by S-55.

Around 0700, when the Italian fleet was 200 miles to the northwest, the convoy turned back for Malta. Attacks by Malta-based aircraft were made on the main Italian fleet without serious effect, although they disabled the heavy cruiser Trento, which was then finished off by the submarine Umbra. Between 0940 and noon on the 15th, two more course reversals were made so that once again the convoy was bound for Malta. All afternoon air attacks were mounted and, south of Crete, the cruiser Birmingham was damaged and the escort destroyer Airedale sunk by Ju87 Stukas. The convoy was now down to six ships when the Australian destroyer Nestor was badly damaged. That evening 'Vigorous' finally turned back for Alexandria.

Into the early hours of the 16th, the cruiser Hermione was torpedoed and sunk by U-205 and Nestor had to be scuttled. At this time, as the Italian fleet headed back for Taranto, a RAF Wellington from Malta torpedoed and damaged the Italian battleship Littorio. None of the 'Vigorous' ships reach Malta. One cruiser, three destroyers and two merchant ships were lost in the attempt.

To try to keep the Italian Fleet away from the convoys, two forces of submarines were deployed, one to lay in wait off the Italian base at Taranto, and the other to operate between Sicily and Sardinia, ready for orders to attack any Italian forces. The submarines Proteus, Thorn, Taku, Thrasher, Porpoise, Una, Uproar, Ultimatum, Umbra were detailed to patrol off Taranto, with Safari, Unbroken, Unison and Unruffled between Sicily and Sardinia. For various reasons, the submarines were generally unsuccessful in providing any cover for the convoys, with only the Italian cruiser Trento being sunk, and even that only after it had been crippled by RAF air attack.